Use 4. To humble the aged, that have not made conscience of their time and ways, and therefore are more blockish than many children : Isa. Ixv. 20, ' There shall be no more an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days;' old men that are ignorant of the mysteries of faith, after they have long sat under the word of God, and
^ Qu. ' before ' ?— Ed.
VeR. 100.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 23
had many advantages to improve their youth : Heb. v. 12, ' When, for the time ye ought to he teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God ; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.' In this sense God is said to take away the understanding of the aged ; that is, by a just judgment for their unfruitfulness and unprofitableness under the means of grace. They that are much younger than you are wise in comparison of you, when they excel you for ripeness in wisdom, for solidness and settledness in manners, in a course of godliness. Those old men that draw near to the grave before they have considered either the end wherefore they came into the world, or the state into which they shall be translated when they go out of it, those are children of one hundred years old, that have nothing to reckon age by, but wrinkles and grey hairs.
Doct. 3. That the way to increase in spiritual understanding is to be studious in practical holiness.
The word, that will give you understanding, will keep you out of all snares, sufficiently direct you to true happiness. But how shall we get it ? Kefer it to practice ; practise what you know, and you shall know more : it must needs be so : —
1. Because these are such as have God's promise: John vii. 17, 'If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.' They that make conscience of their ways, season their course in the fear of God, that take God's direction with them, God will tell them, they shall know what doctrine is of God.
2. They have a greater clearness of mind and understanding, there- fore must needs discern holy things. Why ? Because they are freed from the clouds of lust and passion, which do insensibly blind and make them stay in generals : Mat. v. 8, * Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' Saitli Nazianzen, W^here there is purity there is brightness ; where there is a j^ure heart, there is a great deal more clearness in the understanding. Keason and fancy are dark, unless a man have a command over his passions and affections ; over his passions, of anger, fear, grief ; and over his affections, of love and joy, and appetite towards sensual delights ; unless he be able to govern these things, he will never truly discern the mind of God for the sea- soning his course in living a holy life, That of the apostle is notable, 2 Peter i. 5, ' Add to your faith, virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance.' Unless they be able to govern their affections in the use of worldly delights, pleasures, and profits, they will never have this practical knowledge ; and therefore the only way to know divine things, as Nazianzen well observes, is conscientiously to keep the commandftients of God.' If you would know the will of God, do not spend your time in heaping up notions, but framing your heart to obedience, governing your affections by the fear of God, and suiting your hearts to the word of God. Alas ! those that seek knowledge out of ambition, curiosity, and vain ostentation, and lie under the power of vile affections, get but very little true spiritual light ; they may have the understanding of teachers, but not the understanding to season them, and guide them in their communion with God.
24 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CVI.
3. The more we practise, the more religion is exemplified and made sensible, so that ayc come to understand more of the sweetness of it ; and, on the other hand, the more of difficulty is in it when there is nothing but bare notions and naked apprehensions. There we have a double advantage, an exact rule, and more experience of the sweetnes.s of religion : Prov. iii. 17, ' All her ways are ways of pleasantness.' When we practise what we know, then we come to know the sweetness of entertaining communion with the Lord ; and they know more of the difficulty of religion, they know where their hearts are more averse, and more in danger : whereas others that soar aloft in notions, and idle and lofty speculations, have not this experience.
4. They that practise, study things with more affection than others, mightily help the understanding. The more piety and zeal any man liath, the more will the Lord bless his studies. Paul profited in the Jewish religion above many of his equals. Why ? Gal. i. 14, ' Being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my fathers.' A man that hath a zeal in anything will profit more than others ; so he that hath a zeal for the things of God profits above others. A blunt iron, if red hot, will pierce through an inch board sooner than a cold tool, though never so sharp ; so those that have blunt parts in comparison of others, yet if they have zeal and good affections, they will pierce deep into the mysteries of religion ; they that have sharper parts, want the fire of zeal.